Six of the Best Nicolas Cage Performances

One of the most consistently entertaining and intriguing Hollywood actors Nicolas Cage is an Oscar Winner who rarely goes for the obvious role.

His latest venture, the action thriller Stolen (out now on Blu-ray and DVD) reunites him with his Con Air director Simon West, so what better time to take a look back at six of his defining moments on the big screen, starting with a trip with David Lynch.

Sailor Ripley – Wild at Heart

“This is a snakeskin jacket. And for me it’s a symbol of my individuality.” This is the sartorial explanation offered up by the recently paroled, Elvis fetishist Sailor Ripley to girlfriend Lula Pace Fortune (Laura Dern) in David Lynch’s deliciously disturbing road trip odyssey from 1990. Like that line from the film, the role itself perfectly symbolised Cage’s own early eccentric screen persona.

Word is that Lynch wanted his young star for the lead as soon as he’d read Barry Gifford’s novel of the same name, and it’s easy to see why. Cage was a genuinely fearless performer back them, testing the boundaries of screen acting, with a vivaciousness and unpredictability which served this character perfectly.

In the film, Cage goes from smashing the brains in of a knife-wielding assailant, to serenading his true love with a song by his role model, and the audience are with him all the way. Throughout it all, the actor still manages to imbue Ripley with a doe-eyed sincerity which sits perfectly with that Lynchian mix of innocence and darkness.

Mild-mannered civilian by day, passionate cinephile and dedicated blogger at night, my obsession began with seeing the image of Luke staring wistfully at the two stars of Tatooine, and 30-plus years later, that love have never wavered.